2000
#130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171,636
First available Census row
Per 100,000 63.62
Common Last name
Kennedy
An Irish surname derived from Ó Cinnéidigh, meaning "descendant of Cennétig," a given name composed of two elements meaning "head" and "ugly."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 196,614 Americans carry the last name Kennedy. That puts it at #149 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 57.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,743 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kennedy surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kennedy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
197K
1 in 1,743
Census rank
#149
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
57.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
171K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 171,457 bearers of the surname Kennedy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 57.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kennedy
The surname Kennedy is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata, which spanned parts of northeastern Ireland and western Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic "O'Cinneidigh," meaning "descendant of Cennéidigh" or "ugly head."
The name Kennedy is believed to have first appeared in written records during the 12th century, when it was recorded as "Kennavydych" in the Book of Fees, a medieval Scottish text. Over time, the name evolved through various spellings, including "Kennedie," "Kenneday," and "Kennedye," before settling into its modern form.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gillebride MacKennedy, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Scotland and is mentioned in several historical documents from that era.
The Kennedy family played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries. Robert Kennedy, born in 1314, was a staunch supporter of Robert the Bruce and fought alongside him in several battles against the English.
In the 16th century, the Kennedy family established themselves as a powerful clan in Ayrshire, Scotland. One of their most notable members was David Kennedy, born in 1520, who served as a Lord of the Congregation during the Scottish Reformation.
The name Kennedy also gained prominence in Ireland, where it was associated with the O'Kennedy clan, a prominent family in County Tipperary. Brian O'Kennedy, born in 1460, was a famous Irish chieftain and military leader who fought against the Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland.
As the Kennedy name spread across the British Isles and beyond, it became associated with several notable figures throughout history. These include:
1. Archibald Kennedy, 1st Marquess of Ailsa (1770-1846), a Scottish peer and landowner.
2. John Pendleton Kennedy (1795-1870), an American novelist and politician.
3. John A. Kennedy (1837-1920), a Canadian politician and entrepreneur.
4. John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), the 35th President of the United States.
5. Ian Kennedy (born 1984), an American professional baseball pitcher.
The surname Kennedy has a rich history spanning centuries, rooted in the ancient Celtic cultures of the British Isles. Its evolution and the achievements of its bearers have contributed to its enduring legacy as a prominent surname across the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kennedy
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kennedy bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kennedy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 133,785
- Black or African American13.3% · 22,762
- Two or more races3.9% · 6,618
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 5,980
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1,289
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1,023
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kennedy
Kennedy appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176,865
+5,229 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 59.96
Rank movement Down 16 places
2020
#149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171,457
-5,408 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 57.36
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130 | 171,636 | 63.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146 | 176,865 | 59.96 | +5,229 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 16 places |
| 2020 | #149 | 171,457 | 57.36 | -5,408 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 3 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kennedy surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146 | #149 | -2.1% |
| Count | 176,865 | 171,457 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 59.96 | 57.36 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kennedy bearers went from 176,865 to 171,457 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #146 to #149.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kennedy
FAQ
Kennedy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kennedy?
Name Census estimates that about 196,614 living Americans carry the surname Kennedy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,743 residents.
How common is Kennedy?
Kennedy ranks #149 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 57.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 57 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 171,457 people with the surname Kennedy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (196,614), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 57.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 57.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 57 of them to have the surname Kennedy.
Has Kennedy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kennedy went from 176,865 recorded bearers to 171,457. That is a decrease of 5,408 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146 to #149.
What does the Census say about the background of Kennedy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kennedy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (133,785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kennedy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Black (13.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kennedy (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kennedy mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Cinnéidigh, meaning "descendant of Cennétig," a given name composed of two elements meaning "head" and "ugly." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kennedy (57.36 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Kennedy?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.